Consultation, referral, and transfer of care in healthcare:

A. They do not refer to the exact same process. B. These are current and relevant terms in modern healthcare. C. Although sometimes confused, they are not interchangeable. D. Consultation, referral, and transfer of care are distinct processes. A consultation seeks expert advice, a referral sends a patient to another provider for specialized care, and a transfer involves moving full responsibility for the patient’s care to another provider or facility.